Among the first things that an Entered Apprentice hears at his initiation into Freemasonry is the beautiful 133rd Psalm:
Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, that went down upon the skirts of his garments. As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that decended upon the mountains of Zion: For there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life forever more.
This cryptic psalm is at once a challenge for us to enter into a profound mystery, and a promise that if we do so, the results will be a life changing experience.
What, then, does the 133rd Psalm have to say to us as Freemasons? It must have meaning for us, or else it would not have such a prominent place at the beginning of our Masonic journey. What do we want an Entered Apprentice to know about the meaning of this beautiful psalm? And does that meaning have anything to say to us who have traveled far in our Masonic journey?
Listen to the first and last stanzas read as one thought:
Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity... for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life forever more.
The lesson is a simple one. Much of what he will learn in the degrees of Masonry will explain to him how he can build the sense of brotherhood and unity within the Masonic Fraternity. And much of what he will learn applies to those in the world at large who are not Masons. But a blessing will not accompany it if he does not understand the necessary connection.
What, then, is "unity" which confers such a blessing? I would suggest that it is the same thing as seeking the good of others around us. If I am seeking what is good for you rather than what is good for me, I have transformed our relationship from one of selfishness into one of selflessness. And the practice of this "brotherhood" shapes our attitudes in all our relationships. If I can make the practice of "brotherhood," as properly understood, the standard of my daily life, then all my relationships are transformed.
[Excerpt from Grand Secretary V.W. John L. Cooper]
Fraternally,
Russell Jaeger
Junior Warden